Part 23

The men that were of King Harald's following said it were well and right that Magnus should have the berth had the two Kings come thither at the same time, but that King Harald could not be called upon to leave the berth wherein he were lying afore; and they declared that Harald had acted well and wisely, but those who wished to make the worst of things said that King Magnus desired to break the covenant, and that he had done King Harald wrong and injustice.

Soon unwise men were talking so much about quarrels of this kind that discord arose between the Kings, and many things befell which the Kings took each after his own fashion albeit thereof is but little set down in writing.

|| So King Magnus & King Harald brought their fleet down to Denmark, and when Svein heard thereof fled he away to Skani. The two Kings abode long in Denmark that summer, and brought the land into subjection; the autumn to them was in Jutland. There one night, when King Magnus lay abed, dreamt he that he himself stood there where his father King Olaf the Saint abode, & thought he that his father spake with him: 'Which wilt thou choose, my son, to fare with me, or become of all kings the mightiest & live long, but to commit sin so great that thou wilt scarcely or never be able to atone for it?' And he bethought that he answered, 'I desire that thou choosest for me.'

Then the King seemed to answer: 'Thou shalt fare even with me.' King Magnus told his men of this dream. A little while later fell he ill of a sickness, and lay at a place called Sudatorp,Sec. and when he was nigh unto death sent he his brotherSec. Thorir to Svein Ulfson bidding the latter afford Thorir what help he might need, and with this message King Magnus also made it known that when his days should be ended it was his wish to have Svein to have dominion over the realm of Denmark, saying that it was meet that Harald should rule over Norway and Svein over Denmark. Thereafter died King Magnus the Good, & all folk mourned his death. Thus saith Od Kikina-Skald:

'Full many a tear did men shed When the mild King was borne to the grave. Heavy the burden for those that he had benefited with gold, Sore were the hearts of the house carles, Their tears held they not back, And oft-times in sorrow now are his people down-cast.'

|| When he heard these tidings summoned King Harald his host to a Thing, and opened unto them a scheme whereof the purport was to fare forth to the Vebiorg Thing, and cause himself there to be acclaimed King of Denmark.

Thence would he conquer his country, for he accounted Denmark his own heritage in succession to his kinsman Magnus in like manner as with the kingdom of Norway.

And for this purpose bade he his men give him their assistance, for then, said he, the Norwegians would be masters of the Danes for all time. Then up and spake Einar Thamberskelfir, and said, rather was it his duty to convey his foster-son King Magnus to the grave and to the latter's father King Olaf, than to fight in a foreign land, or to covet ye might and dominion of another King; therefore concluded he his speaking by saying that better he deemed it to follow King Magnus dead than any other king living. Afterwards caused he the corpse to be ta'en and laid out in solemn state so that all might see it arrayed on board the King's own ship. Thereafter all the men of Throndhjem and the Norwegians made them ready to return home with the body of King Magnus & the war-host was disbanded. Then did King Harald perceive that by so much was it his wisest policy to fare back even unto Norway and first of all things to make that country his own, and thereafter wax in power. So Harald hied him thither with the whole of his host thus unto Norway, and even so soon as he was come thither held he a Thing of the men of the land, and caused himself to be acknowledged King over the whole country; he fared right from the east, from Vik, and was acclaimed King by every folkland in Norway.

|| Einar Thamberskelfir journeyed to Norway with the corpse of King Magnus; with him fared all the host of the Throndhjem folk; & they took the body to Nidaros where it was buried in the chapel of Saint Clement wherein was then the shrine of the sainted King Olaf.

King Magnus had been of middle height, with a countenance ruddy and frank, fair-haired was he, and eloquent; quick to think, strong to decide, bounteous to give; withal a mighty man of war and very valiant to boot; of all Kings was he the most beloved, & praised was he alike by friend and foe.

|| That autumn also was Svein Ulfson in Skani & was minded to fare eastward to the realm of Sweden; moreover thought he that he would lay down the title of King which he had taken to himself in Denmark. Peradventure as he was mounting his horse rode certain men up to him & told unto him the tidings that King Magnus was dead, and how that all the host of Norway had quitted clean from Denmark.

To this made Svein hasty answer & said: 'I call God to witness that never hereafter will I flee the realm of Denmark even so long as I live.' Therewithal mounted he his horse & rode southwards in Skani, & to him were forthwith many folk gathered. That winter conquered he the whole of Denmark, & all the Danes took him for their King. Thorir, the brother of King Magnus, came to Svein with the message of King Magnus, as has been afore writ, & Svein received Thorir with good countenance; tarried he long with Svein and it was well with him.

|| After the death of King Magnus Olafson, had King Harald Sigurdson possession of the whole realm of Norway.

And when he had ruled over Norway for one winter, & the spring was again incomen mustered he men from out of all the land, one half of the general host in men & ships, & thence sailed south to Jutland where he harried & burned even very widely; that same summer hove he to in Godnarfjord. At that time made King Harald this verse:

'While the linen-white woman Her song chants to her goodman, The anchor of the oaken ship We drop in Godnarfjord.'

Then spake he to Thiodolf, and bade him add thereunto; and he sang:

'Next summer (foretell I) The anchor more southward Shall hold the ship with its fluke; Deeper shall we cast it.'

And Bolverk in his lay mentions that Harald fared to Denmark the summer following on King Magnus's death:

'From that fair land the year thereafter A muster called'st thou out; When thou ploughed'st the seas With sea-steeds full splendid. On darksome billow lay The dragons precious, and uneasy The host thereof saw off land laden were the war-ships of the Danes.'

|| It was at that time that they burned the homestead of Thorkel Geyser. He was a great chief, natheless were his daughters led bounden to the ships: the winter before had they shown themselves very scornful of Harald & had made mock of his war cruise to Denmark, & from cheese had they cut out anchors and said that most like these would well suffice to hold the ships of the King of Norway. Then was this chanted:

'Now from their whey cheeses cut The maids of Denmark rings for anchors, And this gibe annoyance gave the King. Now see I maidens many in the morn Reach the King's ships in fetters heavy: Fewer laugh now.'

|| It is related that the look-out man who had observed the fleet of King Harald's cried out to the daughters of Thorkel Geyser, 'Ye Geyser daughters said that Harald would never come to Denmark.' Quoth one of them, 'That was yesterday.'

|| At a very high price did Thorkel ransom his daughters. Thus saith Grani:

'Of tears her eyes Were never dry; This wrong-headed woman In the thick Horn-woods. The lord of Norway the fleeing Foe to the shore drave; For his daughters wealth amain Had to pay their father.'

|| The whole of the summer did King Harald harry in the realm of the Danes & gat to himself much plunder, natheless did he not there abide but fared he back to Norway in the autumn, and there tarried the winter through.

|| That same winter, which was even that one after the death of King Magnus, did King Harald take to wife Thora, the daughter of Thorberg Arnason. To them were born two sons, the elder of whom was Magnus, the younger Olaf.

King Harald and Queen Ellisif had two daughters; one of these was named Maria, and the other Ingigerd. When that following spring was come, and of that spring have we writ afore, did King Harald muster his host and again fared forth to Denmark in the summer & harried there, & the same did he now one summer after the other. Thus saith Stuf the Skald:

'Falster was wasted, and to its folk Mischance befell (so I heard). The raven his fill ate, But rapine feared the Danes each year.'